Transferring to Secondary School September 2026

The online school admissions round to enable you to apply for a secondary school for September 2026 opens on Monday 15 September 2025 and closes at midnight on Friday 31 October 2025.

Before completing and submitting your application you should read:

Educating your child booklet

This will provide you with further information on the admissions process. We strongly recommend that you consider using all the preferences available to you when making your application.

If you are unsuccessful in gaining a place at your preferred school(s), you will be allocated a place at the nearest school with space. Please note the school could be some distance away. It is important that you choose your preferences wisely. Naming the same school more than once will not increase your chances of being offered a place at that school.

Online application process

Once you have set up an account online. You can start and submit your application. Your online account will allow you to log in and view or amend your application at any time up until the closing date. Once you have submitted your application online you will receive an email. Please check that you receive the confirmation email.

If you do not receive the confirmation email within 24 hours please contact school admissions by emailing school.admissions@iow.gov.uk

Leading up to the closing date emails will be sent out to remind parents/guardians to submit the online application that has been started. You will also receive this email if you review your application and click un-submit without realising.

If you receive a reminder email to submit your application prior to the closing date, please do not ignore this, you may have double clicked and inadvertently unsubmitted the application.

If you do receive the reminder to submit your application email, you can either log in to your online account and check or email school.admissions@iow.gov.uk and they will respond in writing confirming the application status on the system.

Postal application process

Download and print an application form.

Secondary School Place postal application form (PDF, 114KB)

Once completed return the form to: School Admissions and Transport, County Hall, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 1UD.

If you cannot download the application form you can request a paper application form by emailing school.admissions@iow.gov.uk or telephoning 01983 823455.

Christ the King College or The Island Free School applications

If you would like your child to attend Christ the King College or The Island Free School you must also complete their supplementary information form. Ensure you have completed and submitted both the Local Authority Application Form and the School Supplementary Information Form. If you do not complete and submit both forms your application will not be processed until after those who have.

The supplementary information form for Christ the King College and the Island Free School is available on their websites which are listed below.

Note: all supplementary information forms received after the closing date are considered as 'Late'. They will be processed after those that were received by the time and date stated in their Admissions Policy

Application closing date

The closing date for secondary school applications was midnight on Friday 31 October 2025.

Note: all applications and changes received after the closing date will be considered as 'Late'. They will be processed after the applications that were received by the published closing date.

What do I need to do if I do not require a school place for my Child?

For September 2026 if your child will be home educated, attending an Independent School (for example Priory School, Ryde School) or you will be moving abroad email school.admissions@iow.gov.uk with your child’s full name and date of birth and the education your child will be receiving for Year 7 in September 2026.

National Offer Day

National Offer Day is the day parents will be notified by the School Admissions and Transport team with an offer of a place at a secondary school. National Offer Day for Secondary school places is Monday 2 March 2026.

Parents/guardians who applied online by the closing date will receive an email from the local authority on the 2 March 2026 notifying them of the school where a place has been allocated for their child. Letters will also be sent 2nd class on this day to those parents/guardians who did not apply online and those who will be receiving additional information.

School Admissions are not able to confirm the child's allocated secondary school by telephone.

Waiting list

Waiting Lists will be established for the first time on Monday 16 March 2026.

Further information

Following the admissions consultation, it was approved on 8 April 2014 that priority areas were removed and that parents can apply for a place at the nearest secondary school to their home address.

If you are unsure of your child’s nearest secondary school, you can search for the secondary school nearest to your home address by viewing the map.

SchoolsMap

If you are choosing a school that is not the nearest to your home address read the Home to School Transport Policy as if your child is not eligible under the statutory stated in the policy, you will be responsible for the costs incurred to enable your child to attend the school of your preference. If the nearest school to your home address is either Carisbrooke Collage or Christ the King College and your child is entitled to free school transport, they will receive to either school due to sharing the drop off point for their school sites.

Download the Home to School Transport Policy (PDF, 364KB)

The last date that applications or changes to existing applications can be made prior to National Offer Day Friday 6 February 2026. The system will then close to enable the process for the allocation of secondary school places to take place.

The system will reopen on Monday 9 March 2026. All new applications or changes to details on original applications will be processed from this date. Any changes to existing applications must be received in writing. Send your changes to school.admissions@iow.gov.uk, stating your child’s full name, date of birth, home address and your preferred schools in order of preference, (in order of preference you can name up to three schools.)